Improvement in berths for vessels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNHARD WEISKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BERTHS FOR VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,638, dated J une 3, 1873 application iiled i March 28, .1873.

able those skilled in the art to make and use I the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specitication, in which drawing- Figure 1 represents a transverse vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional front view of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

' This invention consists in combining with the berths of avessel two pendulums which swing iu planes at right angles toeach other, the main pendulum being suspended from a pin that extends at right angles across the berth, while said main pendulum forms the bearings for two or more pivots extending in the direction ot' the length of the berth and forming the supports for said berth, the lower end of the main pendulum being guided in a channel or groove in such a manner that the berth is free to accommodate itself to the pitching and rolling motions of the vessel, while at the same time the main pendulum is steadied in its position, and its oscillations are strictly confined to a plane which is parallel to,.or coincides with, a vertical plane passing through the length oi' the berth. Each berth p is provided with arms extending upward from its ends and provided with holes to receive the pivots, so that the oscillations of the berth are retarded in proportion to the length ot' said arms.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the side ot' a state-room in a sea-going vessel. In this side issecured a pivot, a, from which is suspended a pendulum, B, the lower end of which is guided in a groove, b, formed in the bottom ofthe state-room, or in a piece ot' wood attached to said bottom. The pendulum B spreads in two or more branches, to which is secured a frame, C, that forms the bea-rin gs for pivots c, from which are suspended the berths D D, (one or more.) It will be noticed that the pivots c extend in a direction at right angles to the pivot a of the main pendulum B, so that, while the oscillations of said main pendulum take place in aplane parallel to the length of the berths, the oscillations ofthe berths themselves take place in a plane parallel to a vertical cross-section of said berths, and by these means the berths are enabled to retain a horizontal position while the vessel rolls orpitches. By means ofthe guide-groove b the pendulum B is steadied and its oscillations are strictly confined to a plane parallel to the length ot' the berths. From the ends of each berth D project arms f, which are provided with holes to engage with the pivots c, so that each berth forms a secondary pendulum, the speed of the oscillations of which is in proportion to the length of the arms f. It' desired, the pivot a of the pendulum B may be made to extend across the entire width of the state-room, so that said pendulum can be placed in a central position, its branches being made to straddle the ends of the berths and to extend into the guide-groove b, which in this case would be situated under the middle ot' the berths. In either case I provide stops d e, one of which serves to ,fasten the main pendulum, while the other serves to fasten the berth or berths in position, so that in getting in or out of said berths the danger of tipping over is avoided. Y

After the occupant of the berth has adjusted his body in the proper position the stops are readily withdrawn, and the berth accommodates itself to the rolling and pitching motions ofthe vessel. i

Instead of the stops any other suitable mechanism may be applied for the purpose of stopping and releasing the pendulum and the berth.

I do not claim as my invention to support a berth or state-room in a gimbal-joint, since this arrangement has been proposed heretofore.

What I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

The pendulum B combined with a guidegroove, b, and forming the bearings for pivots c, from which are siispended the berths D,A

(one or more,) substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.

BERNHARD WEISKER. lVitnesses:

W. HAUEE, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

